Girlfriends (1993) Poster

(1993)

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3/10
Stinker
alisonnic4 June 2007
Generally I love lesbian films but this is an exception. The premise sounds like it could be interesting but the execution is hugely disappointing. The acting seems amateurish, there's no real plot, and - worst of all - we get no insight at all into why these women seem to be able to murder men with absolutely no compunction or feeling.

Potentially the most interesting aspect of such a tale might be the exploration of why two women might be so angry at men that they make a career out of slaughtering them. Unfortunately, this movie completely ignores this opportunity. Instead, we see women who seem to have no feelings at all - positive or negative - about the men they kill; the men might as well be cardboard cutouts.

In good storytelling, there should be at least one character that we can root for, even identify with. But not here. In the first killing we see, the victim is a disgusting bigot, so it might be possible to feel a little bit of empathy for the women when they blow him away, but later there is another murder which is simply appalling.

I've always tried to keep an open mind about film makers working outside areas of their own experience but this movie is a really, really good argument for avoiding "lesbian" films made by men.
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1/10
Intensely horrible!
sonya900285 December 2009
This movie was so incredible bad, that I couldn't watch the whole thing. This film was created by a man, and and it shows. The two main characters in this movie, embody virtually every straight male fantasy/fear, that they have about lesbians, and women in general.

Many if not most hetero men, think that women are dangerous, and that they should be very wary of them. And if a woman is also vulgar, foul-mouthed, sexually insatiable, and bisexual rather than exclusively lesbian, then she's every straight man's wet dream. The two women in this film, fit the criteria listed above, to an absolute 't'.

These two women truly are dangerous, because they make a sport of killing men in cold blood. In real life, women who murder men, generally do so in self defense. These women genuinely hate men, which they constantly convey in their brutally offensive language, whenever they refer to them. You have to wonder though, why they want to sleep with men for money, sport, and as sperm donors, since they despise men so much.

Best to skip this turkey of a film, and see movies that have realistic, human, and likable lesbian characters instead.
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9/10
A Great "Bad" Movie (althought it wasn't intended to be)
SoSo_Cinema1 April 2011
If you are a fan of bad cinema, you'll love this flick. I stumbled upon it on Netflix and after viewing, immediately purchased a copy on eBay.

As an aficionado of bad movie/exploitation films (prevalent from the 1930's-1970's) few films in the last few decades would fall into that category. GIRLFRIENDS most definitely does! It has all the elements of an enjoyable "bad" film (all due respect to the film maker and actors). Bad direction, bad acting, bad technical quality, yet the film is intriguing and VERY entertaining.

The basic storyline is two women in love who support themselves by attracting men and killing them for their $$$. Pretty wholesome... huh? Special nods to Lori Scarlett who plays "Pearle" with true professional intent, yet her performance is both terrible and amazing to watch. Sorta' like witnessing a bad car accident on the expressway.

If you enjoy classic bad cinema like MANOS: THE HANDS OF FATE, GLEN OR GLENDA, THE CREEPING TERROR, you will be greatly amused by this 1993 independent movie. Although not a horror/mystery film as those just mentioned, it will most likely keep you glued to your flat-screen TV with your mouth open in a gasp. Certainly GIRLFRIENDS is destine to become a cult classic, if it hasn't already.

Enjoy!
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8/10
Lady Killers
NoDakTatum4 November 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Pearle (Lori Scarlett) and Wanda (Nina Angeloff) could be a normal loving couple. They are struggling financially, and companionship is not going to pay the bills. Good thing they hang around bars, pick up rich men, and then rob and kill them. Watching Pearle rub her crotch and give some leering construction workers the middle finger gives the viewer a sense of what they are in for. The plot is wandering and simple. Pearle and Wanda live together, Wanda is the bread winner, making people think she is homeless in order to collect cash. They try to stop killing men for money, but cash is tight. They barhop and meet Gil (Mark Wilt), a loud racist who fancies himself a stand-up comedian. After killing him, and finding well over a thousand dollars on him, Wanda and Pearle decide to stop killing (again) and make some money honestly. The girls have another friend, Lulu (Sara Showman), over. Lulu is shocked at the girls' lack of involvement in the lesbian community. We find out Wanda is the only divorcee in the group, and flashback to her horrible marriage to Carl (Tom Pettis), which ended in murder, too. Lulu invites them to a play about a divorcing woman who is a lesbian and trying to keep her child. Wanda hates the play, her threatening behavior toward another audience member is great, but Pearle is enthralled. She decides she wants a baby, and Wanda reluctantly agrees. Pearle picks nerdy librarian Tom (Marc Andreyko), takes him home, and has sex with him. She ends up pregnant, and Wanda begins turning tricks in order to make money. That is when she picks up lawyer Howard (Ian Maclennan), and the movie has a twist the viewer will not see coming.

This was shot on video and runs just sixty-nine minutes. I was shocked at how much I laughed through the thing. Pearle is not the sharpest knife in the drawer, and Wanda's over-the-top hatred of men is funny. If John Waters had shot "Thelma & Louise," you would have "Girlfriends." Both lead actresses have good Southern accents, and wallow in their white trash existence. A behind-the-scenes documentary follows the video, and the two actresses are not Southern but do talk about preferring film work to stage work, something refreshing coming from a performer. The language is crude, there is some sex and nudity, and many will find enough to be offended at. The editing is choppy because of the video, but the camerawork is interesting. Check out the scene where we see what happens to Tom. I wish the special effects had been heavier on the gore, but I also think this was budgetary. I was entertained by what I saw, and I am more shocked than anyone.
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8/10
Edgy and engrossing
Woodyanders7 November 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Angry and domineering Wanda (attractive brunette Nina Angeloff) and her more ditsy and mousy companion Pearle (slim blonde Lori Scarlett) are a couple of white trash lesbian lovers who eke out a living robbing from men after killing them first.

Directors Wayne Alan Harold and Mark Steven Bosko ground the compelling story in a plausibly sordid everyday reality, present criminal life in a grimly realistic manner, make nice use of seedy locations, and maintain a coarse abrasive tone throughout. Harold's seamy script offers a wealth of hysterically profane dialogue and a colorful array of low-rent redneck characters. Angeloff and Scarlett display a winningly spiky chemistry in the lead roles and show off their hot bodies quite a bit. Moreover, there are solid supporting contributions from Mark Andreyko as nerdy mama's boy librarian Tom, Mark Wilt as boorish bigot Gil, Tom Pettis as Wanda's abusive ex-husband Carl, and Ian Maclennan as creepy freak lawyer Howard. Both the rough cinematography by Bosko and Alan Stevens and the pulsating score by Sean Carlin and Matt Patterson do the trick. Worth a watch for fans of scrappy indie fare.
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